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Standing on their hind legs, they push each other with strong paws and take powerful swipes, mock-fighting as practice for when they're big enough to compete for females.

The larger of the two, who's been named Mork by lodge guides, is about 450kg. The second male, who's yet to be named, hovers at about 360kg.

Seal River Heritage Lodge, which was opened in 1992 by Churchill Wild tours, is one of the only places in the world offering walking safaris with polar bears. Most other operators run tours from the safety of a "buggy" - a large truck.

During our few days at the fly-in lodge, we embark on twice-daily walks looking for bears but also learning about the other animals that call this place home, including the quick squirrel-like siksik and Arctic hare.

But, ultimately, it's all about the bears, with the window of seeing them limited to four months a year (July-November). As soon as the ice returns to Hudson Bay, the bears will leave the surrounds of the lodge, 740km south of the Arctic Circle, to resume hunting.

Each kills about 45 seals a season, with spring the primary feeding time for baby ringed seals.

When the ice melts, the bears are trapped on land. To get through summer, they slow their metabolism to preserve food and energy, which is why Mork and his friend are fairly lethargic.

"These guys are pretty laid-back bears," Terry says. "They've been great bears to have around, but they ignore us completely."

During Terry's seven years as a guide at the lodge, he's never shot a bear. If one gets a little too close for comfort, he'll first use his voice to scare it away. If that doesn't work, he'll bash rocks together and then use "bangers and screamers" (like a firecracker, shot from a pistol). He also carries bear spray and, only as a last resort, a rifle. Because of the potential danger, guests are prohibited from going outside the lodge without a guide.

That said, there is a fenced compound where visitors can get within centimetres of a bear -- if they come to you and the wire fence remains between.